Investigate the Effect of Moisture Content on Wheat Grain Seeds Respiration Rate :: GCSE Biology A2 A-Level Coursework

Investigate the Effect of Moisture Content on pale yel woeful Grain Seeds Respiration RateHYPOTHESIS There leave be a positive correlation amongst moisturecontent of stubble instills and their airing rate. Therefore as themoisture content (independent variable) increases so pull up stakes therespiration rate (dependent variable).The rationale behind the hypothesis came from studying photosynthesisin plants. During the well-to-do-dependent reactions of photosynthesis, thephotolysis of water (H2O) chokes inside photosystem II. The productsof photolysis combine with NADP from photosystem I, to form reducedNADP. This reduced NADP passes to the light-independent reactions ofphotosynthesis, where it is engaged to make triose phosphate fromglycerate 3 phosphate. Without water, photolysis would not occur andtherefore the light-dependent and light-independent reactions wouldnot take place at all. Therefore I would predict that the highmoisture content of wheat grain seeds the highe r the respiration rate give be, this is because the seeds provide be able to utilise more waterthan a wheat grain seed with low moisture content.VARIABLES The independent variable used in this experiment is waiverto be moisture content, and the dependent variable will be therespiration rate. The other variables temperature, air pressure andair will be unplowed at fairly constant levels. Carrying out theexperiment inside a fume cupboard will help achieve in retentivity thesevariables to remain constant. However another variable sunlight cannotbe controlled during this experiment, and will obviously vary duringthe experiment. The possibility of using a standard light bulb to keeplight levels constant was considered, but was rejected imputable to safetyfears e.g. overheating when the experiment was not being monitoredduring the time between readings.BACKGROUNG KNOWLEDGE Deterioration of stored grain seeds is animportant economic problem in agriculture, therefore it is importantto fi nd out the most suitable conditions for stored grain seeds to bemaintained in. For this experiment wheat grain has been chosen, thisis because it is widely elegant around the world e.g. theMediterranean and West Asia, and is used to make dredge and pasta. Thismeans wheat is a staple crop throughout the world, and its fund isessential.To store grain effectively it is important to stop germination fromoccurring at all. Germination is the onset of growth of the embryo ina seed, this ordinarily happens after a period of dormancy. Dormancy isthe state where germination will not occur, even if environmentalconditions are favourable. This is often an advantage for seeds, as itallows germination to occur in a more favourable season. In the caseof wheat seeds they need several weeks or months of prechilling beforethe will actually germinate.